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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Official USDA photo by Brooke DeCubellis, March 4, 2026.
On Saturday, October 31, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X a mock Halloween costume package labeled “SNAP FRAUDSTER” showing a Black man standing before stacks of what appear to be U.S. currency, holding aloft what appears to be a bill set aflame. Her caption read: “Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence. To anyone stealing from American taxpayers: The tricks are over. The treats are running out. Happy Halloween!” Two days earlier, on Thursday, the White House account on X posted a pumpkin carved with a sombrero shape and the words “Spooky szn is here.”
The Associated Press reports the Rollins image appears to be taken from a September 2025 Instagram post by an account under the name Shawty Dred. The Justice Department identifies the man as Mercedes Reshard New, known as social media personality “Shawty Dred.” Federal prosecutors said in an October 21 news release that New controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts created under stolen identities between January 2020 and July 2026 and extracted about $4 million. A federal grand jury indicted him October 7 on dozens of counts including mail fraud and aggravated identity theft plus SNAP fraud; he was arrested October 13 and remains in federal custody. The charges are allegations.
The posts drew outrage from critics online. Journalist Yashar Ali called it a “straight-up racist post.” Rep. Shontel Brown wrote: “Despicable. Disgusting. Not even hiding it…” and said she looks forward to asking what motivated the graphic when Rollins appears before the Agriculture Committee in January. Rep. Brendan Boyle called it “textbook racism.” Commentator Mehdi Hasan called it “open brazen racism.” Rollins responded to critics telling them to “do your homework” and shared the Justice Department release. The AP reports the NAACP, the White House, and Rollins did not respond to its requests for comment.
The AP notes it is not the first time the White House has been accused of posting inflammatory images: just over a year ago it revived a deepfake video of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a fake mustache and sombrero; Jeffries described that meme as bigoted, and Vice President JD Vance later promised the “sombrero memes will stop.”
The posts landed days before the November 3 midterm elections, as the administration spotlights its fraud crackdown and immigration enforcement. Critics say the imagery leans on racial stereotypes; supporters of the post point to the documented federal fraud case behind the image.
Sources: Associated Press coverage of the administration posts and reactions coverage of the Rollins Halloween post.